UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has challenged the Royal College of Pharmacy and the Royal College of Nursing over their decisions to exclude Israeli-owned pharmaceutical company Teva UK, warning that they may breach charity law, Royal Charter obligations and policies on political neutrality.
UKLFI has written to both organisations to request that they reverse their decisions, which followed pressure from pro-Palestinian campaign groups demanding a boycott of Teva because of its connections with Israel.
Teva UK supplies one in eight prescribed packs of medicine in Britain and is a major supplier to the NHS.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) ended its longstanding commercial partnership with Teva and removed it as a sponsor of its Nursing Leadership Summit on 30 October. The Royal College of Pharmacy (RCP) subsequently excluded Teva from its annual conference on 6 November.
Both organisations cited concerns about Teva’s activities and their compatibility with institutional values, but neither has adequately explained which activities justified the exclusions.
The Royal College of Pharmacy is the professional leadership body for pharmacists which develops professional standards in pharmacy and encourages safe and effective use of medicines. The Royal College of Nursing is a trade union for nurses, midwives and nursing support staff which promotes nursing as a profession. Both organisations are charities, and provide charitable assistance for members.
UKLFI argues that the RCP’s decision may breach charity law, which requires trustees to act in their charity’s interests, make properly informed decisions and disregard irrelevant political considerations.
It also argues that the RCN’s decision may contravene its Royal Charter and its own Humanitarian Crises Framework, which expressly commits the organisation to neutrality.
UKLFI has questioned whether either organisation consulted its wider membership or considered the impact on Jewish and Israeli healthcare professionals.
The pro-Palestinian campaign groups have celebrated the decisions as victories for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and are encouraging other healthcare bodies to follow suit.
A UKLFI spokesperson said:
“Healthcare organisations should not allow themselves to become instruments of political boycott campaigns. Their duty is to advance healthcare and represent all their members, not to penalise companies because of their connections with Israel.
“These decisions appear to have been taken under pressure from activists, without adequate explanation or consultation. Both Royal Colleges must demonstrate that they have acted lawfully, fairly and in accordance with their own rules.”
UKLFI has called on the RCP to reinstate Teva before its conference on 6 November and on the RCN to restore its commercial partnership. Both have been asked to explain their decisions and confirm that future policies will not discriminate against companies because of their national connections.